Gear driven elevator



Fig.

R. H. HURT GEAR DRIVEN ELEVATOR 2 She ets-Sheet 1 Robert H. Hurf INVENTOR.

Nov. 12, 1963 R. H. HURT 3,110,

GEAR DRIVEN ELEVATOR Filed June 14, 1961 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 4 Fig. 4

Fig.3

Robert H. Hun

INVENTOR.

United States Patent 0 3,110,393 GEAR BRRVEN ELEVATQR Robert H. Hurt, 421 N. State St, Kent, Wass. Filed .lune 14, B61, Ser. No. 1175227 5 Claims. (Cl. 198-153) This invention relates to a gear drive arrangement particularly suited for vertical load lifting purposes and rnore particularly, to an elevator drive arrangement for vertically stored parking facilities.

The present invention is particularly concerned with vertical parking devices for automobiles. Vertical parking arrangements heretofore devised encountered considerable difficulty in providing a drive for the automobile parking carriages which have rendered most such proposals unsatisfactory or impractical.

The difliculties heretofore encountered, involves firstly, a space problem in that the spacing between the carriages could not be as close as desired without encountering 1nterference. Secondly, by virtue of the necessity for an endless type of drive, the obvious use of sprocket type chains or other flexible type drive elements required extensive guiding structure for the lift carriages or platforms further increas ng the spacing between the lift platforms. Furthermore, the necessity for large sprocket wheels for engagement of the sprocket chain drive further introduced undesirable size requirements. The drive arrangement of the present invention however eliminates most of the above mentioned problems in a unique and novel manner. Accordingly, it is a primary object of the present invention to provide a drive arrangement for lift carriages or elevator platforms making possible an elevator arrangement more suitable for varying spatial requirements.

Another object of the present invention is to provide an elevator drive arrangement capable of accommodating loads through use of less extensive power equipment.

A further object of this invention is to provide an elevator drive arrangement wherein the load receiving platform may be more closely spaced relative to each other without interference and may also be moved in vertical directions that are not necessarily straight.

An additional object of this invention is to provide an elevator drive arrangement enabling the construction of a vertical elevator with greater design flexibility.

These together with other objects and advantages which will become subsequently apparent reside in the details of construction and operation as more fully hereinafter described and claimed, reference being had to the accompanying drawings forming a part hereof, wherein like numerals refer to like parts throughout, and in which:

FIGURE 1 is a sectional view of a section of an elevator utilizing the drive gear arrangement of the present invention.

FIGURE 2 is a partial sectional view illustrating another section of the elevator.

FIGURE 3 is an enlarged partial sectional view of a portion of the drive arrangement of the present invention.

FIGURE 4 is a sectional view taken substantially through a plane indicated by section line 44 of FIG- URE 3.

FIGURE 5 is a sectional View taken substantially through a plane indicated by section line 55 of FIG- URE 3.

FIGURE 6 is a partial perspective view of a typical load carriage or platform conveyed by the elevator drive arrangement of the present invention.

FIGURE 7 is a partial sectional view taken through a plane indicated by section line 77 in FIGURE 2.

Referring now to the drawings in detail it will be observed from FIGURES l 2, that the present invention may be applied to an automobile parking device of Fri-tented Piotr. 12, 1963 the vertical type generally referred to by reference nu meral iii in which there are a plurality of parking carriages or platforms 12 on which automobiles are loaded and vertically raised for storage by one side of a continuous track frame 14 and lowered by the other side of the track frame. The track frame 14 may therefore be installed at any desired location for either loading or unloading of the carriages '12 at any desired level. It Will however be observed that the track frame 14 is not necessarily straight throughout its vertical portion but may be curved in either lateral direction as illustrated in FIG- URES l and 2 respectively, in order to accommodate the particular installational requirements or for any other purpose. The carriages 12 are nevertheless spaced along the continuous tracl 14 Without interference as illustrated.

The conveyance of the carriages 12 along the continuous track 14 is accomplished by a drive arrangement generally referred to by reference numeral 16. Referring therefore to FIGURES 3 through 5 in particular, it will be observed that the track frame 14 guidingly receives therewit-hin the drive 16 which includes a plurality of spaced, rigid rack link members 18 through which the carriages 12 are supported. The supporting rack gear members 13 are pivotally interconnected by pivot pins 2i? and 22 at their opposite ends to elongated spacing rack link members 24 which space the supporting rack gear members 18 with respect to each other. The elongated connecting rack gear members 24 and the supporting rack gear members 18 form thereby a continuous drive chain that is movable through the continuous track frame 14.

The track frame 14 is channel-shaped in cross section as shown in FIGURE 5 and includes a closed outside wall 26 spaced from and parallel to an inside wall 28 within which is formed a continuous opening 30. Side walls 32 interconnect the walls 26 and 28.

The supporting rack members 18 provide both the support for the carriages 12 and also the guiding facilities for the endless rack chain formed by the rack members 13 and 24. Accordingly, a pair of guide roller assemblies 34 and 36 are rotatab-ly mounted by each rack gear member 13 adjacent to but spaced from the opposite ends thereof by roller shafts 38 and 40 respectively so as to restrict the carriage load to the supporting rack link members 18 to the exclusion of the spacing link members 24 which may therefor be made longer since they are not subject to the same bending load as applied to the supporting links 18. The roller shaft has connected thereto at opposite ends thereof a pair of rollers 42 and 4-4 which are slidably received between the walls 26 and 2,3 .v-ith sufiicient clearance to permit movement of the rack gear members through the track frame 14 without binding.

Pivotally connected to each of the shafts 38 and 49 of the roller assemblies 34 and 36, are a pair of arms 46 and 48 constituting a cantilever support assembly 5%) for suspending therebelow a carriage 12. Accordingly, a pair of track frames 14 and rack drives 16 may be provided for pivotally suspending the carriage 12 between a pair of support assemblies 56 as more clearly seen in FIG- URES 6 and 7. The pa r of support assemblies 59 are therefore interconnected by a pivot shaft 52 from which the carriage i2 is pivotally suspended. Accordingly, the load placed on each of the rack members 18 will cause slight pivotal displacement thereof accommodated by the pivotal connection of the rack gear members 18 to the connecting rack members 24 with the roller guide assemblies 34- and 36 transmitting the load to the load resisting track frame member 14.

While the support assemblies 56 are pivotally connected at spaced points to each of the rack gear members 13 and extend inwardly from the track frame 14 through a the opening 3G in the track frame, pcwe' is applied to the endless rack drive from the other side of the track frame 14. Accordingly, a plurality of spaced openings 54 are provided in the Wall 26 of the track frame through which input drive gear members 56 extend for continuous meshing engagement with the rack teeth 58 on the supporting rack gear members 18 and the rack gear teeth 6% on the elongated connecting rack gear members 24. The rack members 18 and 2d are pivotally interconnected with each other by tongue and groove type formations as more clearly seen in FTGURE 4 so as to present a substantially contii nous and uninterrupted rack gear teeth arrangement for meshing engagement with the input gears 55. The requisite power for driving the endless rack chain may therefore be provided by the combined power of the plurality of input gears 56. Each input gear is therefore drivingly connected to a power source 62 all of which are suitably synchronized.

From the foregoing, it will be apparent that by the selection of the proper length of interconnecting rack gear embers 24, a properly sized carriage 112 and carriage spacing may be accommodated by the drive gear arrangement 16. It will be apparent to anyone skilled in the art that the use of longer connecting rack members 24 as compared to shorter rack members 18, is a significant and purposeful feature since it is desirable to maintain as short as possible the length of the links for accommodating lateral deviations of the track and yet it is also necessary to accommodate the space requirements between carriages necessitating longer connecting links.

It will also be apparent that the track frame 14 need not be straight but deviate laterally as illustrated in FIG- URES 1 and 2 defining a path having lateral deviations from a straight line segment. Also, a relatively close spacing is made possible between the carriages 12 supported from'opposite sides of the track frame '14 in view of the location of the input drive gears 56 and power sources 62 on the outside of the track frames. Furthermore, by virtue of the use of a plurality of such power sources made possible through use of the rigid rack and gear train, a single spatially bulky power unit need not be relied upon. Accordingly, a highly efficient and more flexible vertical lift assembly may be constructed by practics of the present invention.

The foregoing is considered as illustrative only of the principles of the invention. Further, since numerous modifications and changes will readily occur to those skilled in the art, it is not desired to limit the invention to the exact construction and operation shown and described, and accordingly all suitable modifications and equivalents may be resorted to, falling within the scope of the invention as claimed.

What is claimed as new is as follows:

1. In an elevator, a construction comprising continui eas ous track means, rigid supporting rack means guidingly mounted in said track means, guide means mounted on the supporting rack means spaced from opposite ends thereof for engagement 'with the track means, carriage means supported cantilever fashion by the supporting rack at the guide means on one longitudinal side thereof, rigid spacing rack means of diiierent lengths than said supporting rack means pivotally interconnecting and spacing the supporting rack means for movement of the carriage means in adjacent non-interfering spaced relation to each other, and drive gear means operativcly mounted on the other longitudinal Side of the supporting rack means for continuous meshing engage-.

ment with both the supporting and spacing rack means.

2. The combination of claim 1, wherein said track means includes laterally deviating portions.

3. The combination of claim 1, wherein said track means includes a continuous channel member open on one side through which the support means extend.

4. The combination 0t claim 3, wherein said drive gear means includes a plurality of input gear members in meshing engagement with the rack means through spaced openings in the track means on the other side thereof.

5. In combination with a vertical track section establishin a path having lateral deviations from a straight line segment, an arrangement comprising, a plurality of rigid load supporting link members guidingly movable.

within said track section, track bearing means rotatably mounted on each of said supporting link members spaced from opposite ends thereof for limited pivotal displacement of said supporting link members with respect to said track section in response to movement past lateral deviations in said path established by the track section, rigid spacing link members different in length from said supporting link member-s respectively pivotally interconnecting each or" said supporting link members in spaced relation to the track bearing means, continuous gear means mounted on said supporting and said spacing link members, a plurality of spaced power input gears projecting through said track section for continuous driving engagement said gear means for imparting movement to the link members and load suspending means connected to the supporting link members at said track bearing means. 7

References Qited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,781,922 Hibbard Feb. 19, 1957 2,878,921 Clark Mar. 24, 1959 FOREZGN PATENTS 128,425 Australia July 29, 1948 762,411 Great Britain Nov. 28, 1956 174,198 Sweden Feb. 7, 1961 

1. IN AN ELEVATOR, A CONSTRUCTION COMPRISING CONTINUOUS TRACK MEANS, RIGID SUPPORTING RACK MEANS GUIDINGLY MOUNTED IN SAID TRACK MEANS, GUIDE MEANS MOUNTED ON THE SUPPORTING RACK MEANS SPACED FROM OPPOSITE ENDS THEREOF FOR ENGAGEMENT WITH THE TRACK MEANS, CARRIAGE MEANS SUPPORTED CANTILEVER FASHION BY THE SUPPORTING RACK MEANS AT THE GUIDE MEANS ON ONE LONGITUDINAL SIDE THEREOF, RIGID SPACING RACK MEANS OF DIFFERENT LENGTHS THAN SAID SUPPORTING RACK MEANS PIVOTALLY INTERCONNECTING AND SPACING THE SUPPORTING RACK MEANS FOR MOVEMENT OF THE CARRIAGE MEANS IN ADJACENT NON-INTERFERING SPACED RELATION TO EACH OTHER, AND DRIVE GEAR MEANS OPERATIVELY MOUNTED ON THE OTHER LONGITUDINAL SIDE OF THE SUPPORTING RACK MEANS FOR CONTINUOUS MESHING ENGAGEMENT WITH BOTH THE SUPPORTING AND SPACING RACK MEANS. 